youth hunt

[lil daddy]

my daughter and i had a great weekend youth hunt.we started sat morning,had to sit in a stand that dose not produce many deer,but a great time just to hang out with my 12 yr old .as we walked out about 10 we noticed 5 deer feeding just to the north of the stand we wanted to hunt but did not because of the wind.so sat eve we went out about 4 pm by 7 pm we had seen 3 bucks. she shot at 1 but did not hit.went sun morning to same stand and 2 more bucks that were diffrent than the 3 from sat eve.they were out of her range.just a great site to see.but all in all was a great time.total 5 bucks for about 10 hours of hunting.i told her that this is not normal:lol: .but not to worry she will get 1 soon.

[Erik]

Cool report!
I wondered if anyone went out.
I took my son out sunday for squirels. He's not proficient enough with his bow yet, and he's still to young to hunt legally with a firearm for deer.

[CROSSBOWHUNTER]

Cool report!
I wondered if anyone went out.
I took my son out sunday for squirels. He's not proficient enough with his bow yet, and he's still to young to hunt legally with a firearm for deer.just a question, but why is ok for a twelve year old to shoot a gun at small game animals but not big game? just food for thought.:dizzy:

[bolodunn]

way more hunters & slugs go way further. but i don't agree with the 14 thing. i always hunt deer in ohio & my son & myself started deer hunting when we were 9 y/o. i will say my 13 y/o boy is more mature & safety oriented than alot of the hunters i see out there.

[DrifterChuck]

Erik sounds to me like a very ethical parent when he says his 12 year old son isn't proficient with his archery gear at this time to hunt deer.

Having worked in the archery department of a sporting goods store for a number of years, I have seen many 12 year olds that couldn't handle the bow weight necessary to be reasonably sure of making a killing shot. You would be surprised at the number of parents that didn't seem to care, because being of legal age was the only requirement in their mind.

It seems perfectly reasonable to me that a twelve year old could be proficient with a lighter weight rimfire rifle with virtually no recoil and be quite a successful small game hunter; while at the same time not be able to handle a heavier deer rifle with considerable recoil without flinching etc. Not all twelve year olds have the same abilities, maturity, size and strength.

[andyotto]

Just curious. What would be the lower end level that a bow could kill in terms of weight. I have two boys that down the road will be hunting with me.

[buck37]

My son and I went out this weekend. We saw several deer. Most of the deer that we saw were just out of bow range. (he is 13) We had a close encounter with a buck on sunday morning. The buck (a nice 8 pt) came in from behind us on the right side. Neither one of us heard him until he was right behind us. My son couldn't get turned to get a shot when he walked through the shooting lane at 15 yards. When he finally got turned, the deer was behind a branch, then proceded to walk straight away inline with the branch. He then stepped out broadside and posed at 40 yards. He knows his limit is 25 yards, so we just watched him walk away not knowing anything was up. It was quite a learning experience. :)

[Joe Archer]

I have an 11 year old daughter who I hope I can get ready to bow hunt next year. She has been shooting a bow since she was 4 or 5.
Did you know that next year they are lowering the legal age to hunt deer with a gun to 12?
As far as minimum weight to kill a deer, I think that with today's bows and equipment, and good shot selection and placement, a deer can be taken from 10 yards with about 30 pounds. <----<<<

[buck37]

I thought that the bill to lower the age to 12 stalled and most likely won't go thru. I'm not for sure, but I haven't read anywhere that said it passed? :confused:

[STEINFISHSKI]

Congrats on the hunt. Even though a deer was not harvested (yet), it is great to get our children involved. About all the bucks, maybe she's a buck magnet.:yikes: You are in big trouble now.:lol:

[wyle_e_coyote]

My 13 yr old son got to go on his first bow hunt last weekend and it was great. We had a small 6 point walk in, but stayed out about 40 yards. He is shooting 35lbs at no more then 20yrds. I marked off trees fo him to judge distance. He was very excited even though he did not get a shot. It was so neat to watch him get ready for a shot. He seemed to stay very calmeven though he told me afterwards that his heart was racing. He said he now understands what we are all talking about.
Now he is mad at me though. He wants to go out this coming weekend, but I will be in the UP hunting bear. He will have to wait untill my return. He is soooooo hooked now!!!!

[DrifterChuck]

Andy, first let me say that it's been about ten years since I worked in the sporting goods store and have not kept up with the compound bows designed for youth hunters.

I have always thought that along with completion of hunter education that a youth hunter should have to demonstrate that they are capable of shooting a bow that would produce a certain minimum amount of kenetic energy, before they begin hunting.

I have seen some bow weights mentioned here that will kill deer under optimum conditions. I guess if I had to pick a minimum weight I would say between 35 to 40#, not a bow that can be adjusted to that weight but one that is being shot at that weight.

Other factors that I would recommend you consider are..

Using cut on contact broadheads.
Practice with the broadheads to insure good flight and accuracy.
Practice shooting from elevated positions.

Keeping your stand height lower than you normally would for an adult shooting heavier equipment. This gives you a bigger target area and a better chance of getting both lungs.

Good luck to everyone.

[Erik]

My son is shooting 30lbs, but he struggles with it, and his accuracy is lacking.
Personally I feel like 30 lbs is a little weak for a deer, but thats just me. If someone else has good experiance with that poundage then go for it. I've never tried to kill a deer with less than 45lbs so I don't personally know if it is possible.
My son doesn't seem to mind not hunting for deer yet. He goes with me alot. And I get the feeling when we go that he enjoys it. But quite seriously I get the feeling he enjoys small game hunting just as much if not more. Theres more action when we go small game hunting, and he doesn't have to be as quiet. Plus he can shoot the rifle, and I think he thinks that is way more cool than shooting his bow.

[DrifterChuck]

Erik, it sounds like you are proceeding along the right track and not pushing your son into something he's not ready for.

I have a friend who has some dibilitating medical problems and is hunting with a 42# recurve. He has killed four or five deer with that bow. He knows his limitations and only takes shots at close ranges at relaxed deer.

The trouble with shooting light bows is that the arrows out of necessity have to be light. Light bows with light arrows do not make for a very effective combination for big game.

[lil daddy]

thanks for the reply guys.i have to agree with most said.yes i would have to say that some are not ready at 12 but some are. she is ready. I also think that it is the RESPONABILTY OF PARENTS to know when the kids are ready.